Karen Davidson: Sale of Pistons is progressing very well, still could be done by start of season

AP File PhotoDetroit Pistons' owner Karen Davidson says the sale of the team is progressing very well.

AUBURN HILLS -- The start of the NBA regular season is a little more than a month away.

Detroit Pistons owner Karen Davidson is confident that is enough time for the sale of the team to be completed.

"It's progressing very well," she said Thursday during an appearance at Costco in Auburn Hills.

Davidson visited the Costco along with forward Jonas Jerebko, mascot
"Hooper" and other Pistons' personnel to purchase more than $12,000 in
supplies for students in Oakland County Schools. The Pistons raised
funds for the supplies during their "Two-Day Ticket Blitz" in July, when
one dollar from every ticket sold was earmarked to help schools.

When asked if there were any leading candidates to buy the team, Davidson had a pointed response.

"Yes," she said, before declining to elaborate.

The Ilitch family, which owns the Detroit Tigers and Detroit Red Wings,
earlier this summer announced its interest in purchasing the team,
while venture capitalist Tom Gores, a Flint native and Michigan State
University graduate, also appears to be among the leading contenders to
purchase the Pistons.

Others reportedly interested in purchasing
the team include a group headed by George Postolos, a former Houston
Rockets executive who also was special assistant to NBA Commissioner
David Stern, and a group with ties to Dubai.

Davidson said she
still is confident the timetable to have the team sold by the start of
the season -- the Pistons begin Oct. 27 at New Jersey -- is a good one.

"Yes," she said. "We're going forward."

The Pistons open training camp Monday with media day, followed by
two-a-day practices beginning Tuesday. Their first preseason game is set
for Oct. 5 at Miami.